Legend of Spyro: The Dragon King
by DrCr0ss0ver
Summary: After the events of Dradgonriders' Destiny, Spyro and Cynder rule over a united society in the Dragon Realm. Now, with the help of an ancient scroll and a new 'ally', they are flung back to the Dragonriders' Realm, but none of them are prepared for the sudden challenges ahead. Rated T for blood, light swearing, and death. 3-WAY CROSSOVER [sort of]


This is the start of another chapter within Spyro, Cynder, and the Dragonriders against all-new, and powerful threats! With new allies, will our heroes be able to stand up after everything that is going to happen, or will the peace and legacy of Spyro, Cynder, and the Dragonriders fall to darkness?

Find out in the SEQUEL OF DRAGONRIDERS' DESTINY: DRAGON KING!

Also, I want to point out a few things. FIRSTLY, this is the longest chapter I have ever typed yet (upon finishing it, this chapter took about 24 pages in Google Docs), lol. SECONDLY, I will be making a REMAKE of Dragonrider's Destiny. I will be fixing any errors or inconsistencies in the story, as well as redoing ARSTROK and MITHREX. I honestly don't enjoy them as an 'ALL POWERFUL' character at this moment, so I want to go back and make them better. I want to make them more supportive of Vortex in his small journey, but change their goals a little, too. So instead of being GODS of TIME and SPACE, now they are just survivors with high potential. More on that later once I post the reworked copy of Dragonriders' Destiny! ;D

The THIRD thing is I'm so GRATEFUL for all the support and views of Dragonriders Destiny! You guys are awesome! As of 12/2/19: we have over 13,600 views! I can't thank you all enough!

FORTH: the setting for this story is shortly after HTTYD 2 (to avoid confusion for newer viewers. To any viewers who have NOT read Dragonriders' Destiny, please do so to affiliate yourself with the storyline of this arc. However, please keep a lookout for the updated version [coming soon] as it will beef out the lore in a better way the original has), but time also works a bit differently in each realm.

LASTLY. I WILL BE MAKING LARGER CHAPTERS IN THIS SERIES, SO EXPECT INACCURATE UPLOAD DATES FOR CHAPTERS! But also fewer chapters than the prequel… maybe...

Welp, I'm done rambling… here you go. The first chapter after a year's time gap.

* * *

_DISPLACEMENT FIELD…_

"_I just don't understand, Grand Minister. I keep seeing these visions that break my mind every time! I keep seeing so many things, but the more open ones are of islands in another time or something. There are a ton of humans, but I also keep seeing dragons, LOADS of dragons, and I'm at a loss of words!"_

"_You must go to this world, young Midnight. Find out why you keep receiving these messages. Only then, you will know the path you must take."_

"_I'm sorry, little bro… but this is the only way for me to move on," I looked back to the little fox, "don't worry... I'll be back." I breathed in as I returned my gaze to the swirling portal in front of me. As if my legs had minds of their own, I immediately walked through the portal, engulfed into the purple light, and everything around me had just stopped..._

* * *

_**Dragonriders' Realm...**_

_On a remote island…_

Music: AXIS by Tom Player enters...

Gone was the bright, golden sun that once hung over the earth, as every inch of the sky was shrouded in the horrific darkness. Only moments ago, everything was bright and beautiful, but now… only darkness that mimicked the night perfectly. Everything that one lone Viking, who was on his knees with tears running down his cheeks, saw looked as if it had been replicated perfectly from a nightmare. Columns of black were wrapped around the Viking yet remained at a considerable distance away. A flurry of orange-yellow dots fluttered into the sky, only to vanish at a moment's notice. The Viking looked at everything around him in pure terror. The land he once called his home, one filled to the very core of life and pure joy, had been swept away at ease. The once peaceful land of Oakenspire, had been reduced to plummeting ash. Fires swept every building around him that once held the very foundations of businesses and homes. Walls and roofs crashed to the ground, with the fire still clinging onto them. The fire looked as if it was alive and tackling the roofs and walls onto the ground, then instantly becoming devourers of the wood. The fires cackling as their intense heat melted the wood. Smoke clouds rose to the skies, only to blend in the dark atmosphere of the island and vanish.

Smoke started to fill his lungs as he coughed violently, desperate for pure, cleaner air. The Viking looked at the ground around him, and saw so many of his people he loved and cared for, dead… Some of them had been burned to death, some were impaled by Deadly Natter spines, and some of which he wasn't too sure about. Regardless, he was struck with pure fear as he looked back down to his knees. There on his knees was a Viking lady lying in his knees, with a beautiful emerald dress on her. She had sapphire blue eyes and a scarlet red hair that flowed down to her chest. The lady on his knees had in her abdomen a large Deadly Nadder spine that had penetrated her completely. The shot was covered in blood entirely, but traces of a blue and orange color remained on the tips of the spine. The woman's expression was empty and her skin was pale like the clouds. Blood and tears were on her face, some of which was hers, and some as his. His sobs cut through the cracking of the fire. A nearby hut on his left collapsed, catching his attention. He could hear stomping of monstrous beasts shake the grounds, making some of the bodies jump, but it was such a minuscule one. As the walls fell to the ground, turning into ash and dust instantly, he could see people on the other side. They were pinned to an unburnt wall, facing something monstrous that was staring at them. The monster he couldn't see because of another building that blocked his sight, but he could hear its huffs of death from the other side. He could see a woman on her knees with two children, an older boy, and a young girl. Both of which were crying into the mother's arms, and the mother hugging them tightly into hers. A couple of angry shouts clashed with a roar, then two males came flying towards the three. One landed just a few yards away from the mother, but the Viking could see his arm poking around the corner of the hut. The other had collided into the wall and fell face first next to the woman. The woman shifted herself quickly to kneel next to the man. She was shaking the warrior, desperately trying to wake him up.

The Viking could hear her screaming, "PLEASE! GET _**UP!**_" but there was no avail. Another voice, faint, but full of pure darkness laughed a little and spoke, _"burn 'em."_ In an instant, all five of the Vikings were engulfed in flames that emanated from behind the house. The screams of the mother and children echoed throughout his ears and haunted him. Even though he was far enough away from the fire blast, he could still feel the intensity of the heat from where he was. The screams continued for a whole minute before silence quieted them entirely. The fire blast ceased and revealed the charred bodies and the smoldering wall behind them. The Viking was devastated by this, who could do this to women… to CHILDREN?!

The hill in front of him started to clear up and reveal something ahead of him. The Viking glimpsed the shadowy figure up ahead and scolded. "Y-You… KILLED HER… MY WIFE! YOU KILLED INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN! THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" The Viking screamed at the dark figure ahead. Was this a demon? A curse sent by the gods? So many questions ran through his mind that he was unable to process them all without straining his mind.

The shadow laughed as the image of a dragon came into fruition, standing directly behind the shadow, though the Viking couldn't tell what kind of dragon it was, "we know… but it was fun nonetheless."

The Viking gently placed the body of his wife in front of him and tried to stand, but his legs were giving in to his weakness. He wanted to vomit from observing all of the pain, suffering, and pure rampage of this torture. "WHO are you?! Why are you doing this? WE'VE DONE NOTHING TO PISS YOU OFF!"

"Who are we..?" The shadow seemed to mock the Viking as they stepped down from the hills. The shadow and the shadow dragon, marched down towards the Viking. The echoes of heavy boots and stomps of a dragon echoed around him, igniting a fear to run. And tried to run he did, but he only managed to lift one foot off the ground before falling on his back. He grunted in pain as he slowly tried to sit up. Through the black fog, the figure of a man came through, as well as his dragon at his side. Fear isn't even close to what the Viking was experiencing when the full body of the attacker came into view. The helmet came into view first, and that's what caught him off guard. The top was entirely black, with small spikes that were placed in the middle and edges of the helmet. These spikes grew when at the top of the helmet, then shortened towards the back. There was a small clip of metal in the middle of the chin area, but most of the under part was leather entirely. Two hate-filled eyes stared daggers into the Vikings soul. His right shoulder had a red graffiti of what looks like a dragon mouth. His left shoulder pad exposed an under armor of brown leather. The man's upper armor was black, but there were large portions of leather under armor underneath that became more emanant as the legs were exposed. The dragon also came out from the fog and scared the Viking even more somehow. The dragon had a long, slender body, with a built-in back tail. The head was round and held dark eyes. His mouth was open, revealing a purple light inside. The dragon was preparing an attack! The figure placed his hand on the head of the dragon, signaling it to stand down.

"No… let's not be rude to our guest, Toothless… not now," the man said as he flipped up his mask to show his face to the Viking. The Viking watched as the dragon's purple plasma attack slowly began to fade away into nothingness. He just couldn't fathom about the person who was standing before him would destroy an entire village for his entertainment! The Viking was about to say something when screeches were heard above him, he looked up in time to see three more dragons land behind the leader. A blonde, intimidating woman on a light blue Deadly Natter, a chubby man on a gronckle, and a man and woman riding a green Zippleback. Coming from the same pathway as the burned bodies, an angrier looking man appeared riding an orange Monstrous Nightmare, with the most evil of grins plastered on his face. His dragon looked ready to burn more people for its enjoyment. The man had a scar that ran down from his hair to his left eye and stopped at his upper lip. Now that he had a chance to see that scar, all of the Riders had similar scars on their faces. Their dragons had similar scars but ran along with their bodies as well as their faces. Their bodies lit up in an orange aura when the light of the fires shined upon them.

The Viking was so bewildered, "w...why… why are you doing this… H-Hiccup?"

Hiccup smirked, "why?" He suddenly gripped the Viking's upper shirt and pulled him closer, "because I found out that with my fame and power. _NO ONE_ in the archipelago would be able to STOP ME!" Hiccup leaned in closer, practically whispering in his ear, "besides, I believe you already know what I'm here for." Hiccup shoved the Viking to the ground, the Viking howling in pain from the force of Hiccup's shove. The Riders behind him were laughing in amusement.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" the Viking tried to protest his innocence, waving his hand in denial. The Viking tried to scoot back, desperately attempting to make a run for it, but it would be pointless to resist.

This only got Hiccup more upset as he lashed out, "**OF COURSE YOU DO! **Don't you **DARE **play dumb with ME!" This shout silenced the Viking entirely and stopped his attempts to escape. Hiccup slowly relaxed a little, but still drew in an irritated breath in, "the artifact… tell me where it is, _**NOW!**_"

The Viking stuttered, "I-I don't know where it is, I SWEAR!" He was starting to produce puddles of sweat, washing over his face in an attempt to hide his lies.

"YES, YOU DO!" Hiccup stopped for a moment before chuckling lightly, but loud enough so everyone around could hear, striking a paralyzing feeling in the Viking, "Tell you what… I'll make you a deal. Give us the location of the artifact… or… we'll take you with us and force you to watch as we exterminate every single man, woman, and child in the next village. Your choice, y' know?"

"T-That's not a DEAL! THAT'S AN _ULTIMATUM_!" The Viking shouted, both anger and fear in his voice.

"Still two or more choices, are they not? Now, decide…" Hiccup placed his hand on the hilt of his blade to back up his words, as if he needed to do so. Now the Viking started to think. He quickly flicked his bearded head in the direction of the next village. Of course, he couldn't see it, but he started to factor in all of the innocent people within. An internal wrestle threw down in his mind. He wanted to tell the location of the artifact. He _SHOULD_ tell them, but the images of the burned civilians came into his mind. The thought of the next village suffering the same fate as everyone else here haunted him. Sweat and tears poured from his head once again, this time catching the attention of Hiccup.

Hiccup noticed that the Viking was fighting himself and acted on his fear. He decided to fake his decision, "welp! Since YOU won't make a choice, I guess I'LL have to do it for you." He made some movement with his right hand, calling the other Dragonriders to his side. As soon as they gathered around, a devilish grin placed itself on Hiccup's head, "YOU will go to the next village just West of here. I want _EVERY. __SINGLE_ person in that village to be eliminated at ONCE! Leave no survivors…" the Dragonriders gave a disgusting laugh as their dragons stomped away from their leader. The wings of their dragons, prepped to launch, were suddenly halted by a voice from behind them.

"Wait…" both the Riders and their Dragons to see the Viking, looking down in defeat with a hand raised to halt them. He slowly raised his head to reveal his depraved eyes. He lost all sense of hope in his eyes, deprived of all positivity in his heart. Hiccup didn't look too surprised by this response. The Viking continued, "I… I'll take you to the location of the relic. Just PROMISE me that you will spare the other village..?"

Hiccup, using his peripheral vision, looked around at his eager Dragonriders, all of which were ready to destroy something, before shifting his gaze back to the Viking, "very well. I accept these terms." The other Dragonriders looked puzzled by this response but didn't comment on anything about it.

The Viking tried to stand up, but his legs were completely numb. He grunted in pain, "it's… it's in the town hall."

Hiccup slowly gave an evil grin, "I knew there was something about that place that told me not to destroy it… and I guess THIS is that reason why." He violently gripped the Viking then jumped on Toothless' back. Toothless roared before flying a short distance towards the town hall. The Viking's legs, arms, his entire body dangled in the air as they traveled the short distance. As soon as they landed, Hiccup threw the Viking onto the ground. The Viking could feel his entire body aching in pain as he landed on the stony grounds. Chunks of flesh were ripped apart from his skin, causing small leaks of blood on his arms, legs, and possibly back. The Viking was upside down, but the town hall was in his line of sight and only a couple of yards away from the front door. He slowly rotated over to where he at least wasn't upside down. Hiccup's boots suddenly landed on his hands, crushing them instantly. The Viking gave a blood-curdling scream in pain, tears once again resurfaced in his eyes. The Viking could tell they were broken because he wasn't able to move any part of his hands. More than likely, his hands would have to be amputated off if he survives this.

"Now, tell me," Hiccup's voice reached his ringing ears. Hiccup reached down and lifted the Viking's head to where he was forced to see the Dragonrider. Even in the darkest background, the Viking could see the raw hatred and evil in the Rider's eyes as he smiled devilishly, "_WHERE_ exactly would we find the relic?"

The Viking sniffed, "far back room. There s-should be something like a map in the Chieftain's room. I-It has what you're looking for!"

Hiccup scoffed, "thanks for your cooperation." He looked back to the other Dragonriders who had just landed with him, "you are to remain next to his side. Don't let him leave your sight." They nodded in agreement, and Hiccup looked to the doorway. Toothless trotted next to the scared Dragonrider. Hiccup pointed to the door, "fire." Toothless let out a bright purple blast of plasma, instantly shredding the door to pieces. Debris flew out and around Hiccup and Toothless, but the lone Viking could also feel the power of the blast. His heavy boots lifted off of the Viking's hands. His cries in pain only fueled Hiccup's enjoyment of pain. Dust fell to the ground as Hiccup walked through into the town hall. His heavy boots lifted off of the Viking's hands. His cries in pain only fueled Hiccup's enjoyment of pain. Only a small amount of light poured through the destroyed doorway, revealing a decorative hallway.

Toothless attempted to follow, but Hiccup placed his hand in front of the Nightfury, signaling him to remain in place. Hiccup noticed that the hallway diverged into three ways as if making a cross. Remembering what the Viking said, he made his way to the furthest door and kicked it down. The door made a loud thud, exposing the darkroom within. Pulling out his weapon, he ignited his fiery blade, embracing the room in a crisp, golden light. Hiccup could see small paintings on walls, with a desk in the middle of the room. Scavenging through everything, he tore the place apart, ripping apart everything in his search. Each time he came empty-handed in whatever area he searched, his anger slowly built up. In a feud fire of anger, he threw over the desk in anger, destroying its legs upon impact.

"WHERE... **IS** IT?!" Hiccup screamed in frustration. Then, something caught his eye. The desk he threw over in pure rage had something carved into its underside. It was a map of the room he was in, but there was something strange about it. There was a small 'X' behind where one of the walls was. Hiccup knew something was behind the wall, more precisely… he turned around to see a painting directly behind him, "...what's behind the painting?" He gripped the edges of the painting and tossed it to the side violently. It shattered upon impact, which surprisingly satisfied Hiccup in some way. Hiccup knew he had hit the jackpot as he stared as a poorly covered, carved in a portion of the wall. Some wooden beams covered a hole, more than likely made to keep something away from the public eye. Growing a bit impatient, Hiccup used his sword to slash at the beams, destroying them instantly. His swords' light revealed a small chest inside the hole. Smiling, he reached in and pulled out the chest. Hiccup tossed his sword into his other hand as he used his right hand to open the box. His eyes were fixated on the contents inside and gave a small, sort of happy chuckle. He then closed the box and placed it underneath his armpit. He exited the hall and resealed himself to the outside once again, the box under his arm.

Hiccup looked down at the Viking and remarked, "well, old man, it looks like you weren't telling a lie after all…"

"Y-You see! I was right!" The Viking returned. The Viking suddenly realized that as far as he knew, they had no plans for him in the future.

"Yes… you were…" Hiccup moved to Toothless' side and placed the box on the saddle.

"S-So, am I free to go?" The Viking stuttered, trying to stand up without his hands, but the amount of pain he was in made it next to impossible to do so.

The other Dragonriders laughed in amusement. The Viking gave a small, nervous laugh as if it was a joke of some kind. Hiccup looked back at the Viking, then hopped onto Toothless. He stared at the other Dragonriders, "kill him. And when you're done with him, destroy the hall... reduce its walls and roof to ashes." The Viking immediately dropped his nervous smile in replacement of fear. The other Riders smiled as their dragons readied their fire blasts, all aimed at him. He tried to beg for his life, only to see each of the respective Rider's dragons inch closer and closer to him. Hiccup took off into the skies, leaving everyone else to do the dirty work. He could feel the cold wind, mixed with the lovely trail of destruction flow around him. Hiccup smiled with joy as fresh screams of agonizing pain echoed around him. He could see the reflection of intense heat melting someone, being the Viking he encountered, to ashes. Then silence filled the air around him. Soon enough, the rest of the Dragonriders returned to his side, their dragons looking rather satisfied with their recent actions.

"Did you find the relic we're looking for?" Astrid asked, her voice more cold-hearted than ever before.

"Indeed I have," Hiccup paused as he began to open the box once more. He pulled from within a cylinder object, with inscribing carved into its sides. In the front was a carved dragon head that held within a glass lens, "and it looks like we'll be making major profits soon enough…" for the relic he had revealed to the rest of the Dragonriders was another reincarnation of the Dragon Eye…

Music slowly fades away...

* * *

_Within the Dragon Realm..._

_**At the end of their voyage with the Dragonriders, Spyro and Cynder managed to return to their realm with the help of The Chronicler. Upon their arrival back home, a feast was held in honor of the two heroes return! Hope began to resurface throughout dragon kind, as cities and towns began to be reborn from the ashes of Malefor's onslaught. As years past, the Dragon population, along with the cheetahs', moles, and other life began to repopulate the planet; thus, the world was reformed in light! What happened to Spyro and Cynder? Close to 6 years ago, they returned from meeting some of the best and strangest friends they ever met before. Now, they stand at the highest honor, as rulers of all Dragon Kind, diplomats to true peace throughout the land. They were the ones who were on the front lines, striking down the remnants of Malefor's old forces if they dared to strike back for killing their king of darkness. Each night, they dream of establishing a pathway to and from the Dragonriders' world, so that they could see each other again and establish a means of transportation between the two realms. Besides, they still needed to share the news of Vortex's death. Speaking of Vortex, Spyro requested that a statue of the wolf be placed near the entrance of the temple in honor of his sacrifice. Of course, the dragons who were in charge of the project kept screwing up the body proportions, so the project was scrapped. For the next 6 years, each day passed with more light than the next, as peace fueled the people's spirit. However, no one realized the fact that something was emerging from the ground below the forests. That was until one night when everything changed…**_

_**In the middle of the night, all was still as wildlife reigned within the forest. Nothing was there to ruin the quietness of their surroundings. All of a sudden, a large purple beam struck into the ground, but not just the ground. It continued below the surface and struck carved stones beneath. The large spectacle of light ceased and all was still, until… The ground began to rumble and roar as a mountain of rock, dirt, and trees were lifted from the ground and thrust all around. A tip of a giant temple began to rise to the surface. Soon, pillars, stairs, and other surfaces began to rise, until a large temple was fully present in the moonlight. Some of the outer walls, rings, and stones were covered in the shadows of the forest. The temple looked much, much older from the Dragon Temple the Guardians use but much more deteriorated. Many of the carvings in the sides were completely eroded. Moss, not to mention all the dirt, stone, and lumber, hung from the roof like hair. Animals, birds, and other critters scattered for safety as this unknown temple surfaced from the dust. **_

_**An hour passed when a group of moles went in to investigate the strange temple. As they explored, they uncovered many ancient carvings inscribed on the walls. Several of which had deteriorated over time, while some had been scratched beyond recognition. The explorers soon discovered something shocking: this temple belonged to the ancient dragons that once ruled over these lands long before Malefor's rise. **_

_**The leader of the expedition continued to eye the massive doorways in front of him. At first, he was thinking about what secrets this temple could be hiding from the rest of the world.**_

_**One of the males approached the team leader, "Sir, what should we do? There's no way we can enter the temple, not without the aid of a dragon!" **_

_**The Mole leader jumped as he returned from his imagination, "hmm? Oh, right, the temple…" he paused to look back at the temple doors. He didn't look back to his companion, "return to the Dragon temple. Inform the Guardians about our discoveries," the Leader finally looked to his supporter, "Spyro and Cynder must know of this at once!"**_

* * *

_Early Afternoon of the next day..._

Spyro and Cynder walked down the mossy halls of the Temple, the footsteps of the scaly beasts echoed all around them. Both had smiles on their faces, today was going to be great, and things were only going to get better! There were no signs of enemies within the area, all the reconstruction was complete, and to top it all off: there was a celebration the very next day!

"I just can't wait for the celebration tomorrow!" Spyro looked so excited in his dragon eyes.

Cynder looked at his face, a little confused as to why, but still happy for the purple dragon, "why is that?"

"Well, for one: I know the family who is holding the celebration-!"

"You know just about everyone around here and everyone pretty much knows who you are, so I don't see the point about that one," Cynder smirked a little.

"Well, yeah, but! BUT! There are going to be so many cool treats she's exceptionally known for that I'm dying to try out! Plus, this family I know personally! I helped them out a couple years back when their home was lost to Malefor's scattered forces. They gave us an invitation to their party tomorrow night!" Spyro looked like he was drooling from picturing the treats in his mind.

"You do realize you might have to make one of those celebratory speeches that you hate so much, right?" Cynder reminded.

"It's a double-edged sword, okay? Leave me alone…" Spyro drooped his head down. Cynder chuckled, his sense of humor was improving, or at least in her eyes. A loud commotion was starting to appear from down the hall, into the training room. Spyro looked up and dropped his cheerful expression for puzzlement. The conversation sounded serious by how he could hear the Guardians bickering with one another.

"What's going on?" Cynder asked out loud, clearly to have done the same course of actions as Spyro just did.

Spyro's face grew serious, as if ready for combat, "I don't know, but come one!" They scampered into the room to see the Guardians arguing with each other. Nearby were a couple of moles with several cheetahs, all looking like they've seen some sort of personal hell. Well, except the cheetahs, they were just doing busywork around the temple as the Guardians and moles spoke. Spyro noticed that Cyril had finished talking to one of the cheetahs. The cheetah stopped talking to the elder Guardian, nodded, and left to rejoin his group. Cyril turned right to see the Purple Dragon trot up next to him, with Cynder at his side.

"Spyro, we have some urgent news!" Cyril gave a worried cry to the Purple Dragon.

"What's going on? Are Malefor's forces trying to invade again?" Spyro began to grow concerned for everyone in the city. Even though Malefor may be gone for good, his forces can still cause cataclysm across the realm if they are coordinated enough to do so. It has happened before, but it is rare.

"Thankfully, no, it's not that," Cyril slightly calmed the air around the two heroes.

Spyro and Cynder both gave a large sigh of relief simultaneously. Spyro looked up to his mentor, "well, that's a relief, but what's the situation? It must be important of you all are this riled up about it."

"It appears there was an earthquake last night in a nearby mole village, and apparently… something rose from the grounds. It appears that an ancient temple arose from the very layers of rock it was carved from. Earlier today, a small expedition team entered the temple, only to return with no real way of accessing it. The moles' reports did say that the carvings on the inner walls looked like Dragon writing, but they weren't too sure. What puzzles me is the fact there is another temple here. I know the ancients used one, but from what we recall, THIS is the temple they used. Could the temple that surfaced be linked up to this one and we had no idea that is was?" Cyril explained but hypothesized in the end. A cheetah walked over and whispered something in the dragon's ear. Cyril nodded, "ah, yes, thank you!" The cheetah nodded and waltz off as Cyril cleared his throat, "there was also something else that was strange. Eye witness reports claim to have seen a large ray of dazzling colors descending into the ground just before the temple rose to the surface. Many of the people we interviewed said it was a purple-pink hybrid, but had other colors in the mix, and guess where the light descended upon?"

"The Unknown Temple…" Spyro finished his mentor's statement, "sounds like trouble. We need to go investigate! Cynder, let's round up a well-armed expedition team. We may need some support," Spyro commanded his mate. She nodded and ran out of the room to do as she said. Spyro looked back to the guardians, "think you could help us with this?"

"It would be best if you went to investigate on your own. We need to keep the peace of the people intact. Besides, I believe you can handle this well on your own," Cyril replied.

"Right…" Spyro nodded when he heard Cynder running back to the room. Spyro turned to see Cynder accompanied by half a dozen cheetahs, armed and ready for potential combat.

"I got our forces ready! Looks like they were already set to go off on an adventure to the Temple," Cynder said.

"Alright, that's good!" Spyro paused to look back at Cyril, "how far away is the Temple from here?"

"Not too far, even if you carry the cheetahs there. It is located in the deepest parts of the forest just West, but be careful. Some of Malefor's forces may still be held up within, as well as other terrors we do not know," Cyril warned, "you will see the uprooted trees and the mound of dirt upon arriving. That may aid you in your journey. Return to us if you have found anything of use to us or at least a clue of it. We will send a rescue team if you don't return by nightfall of tomorrow," Spyro nodded as he, Cynder, and the cheetah squad left the main hub. Cyril watching with fear hidden in his eyes, "be careful, young Spyro and Cynder. We need you back in one piece."

Spyro, Cynder, and the cheetahs ran out to the small bridge and stopped midway on it. Spyro looked at the cheetahs, "alright, try to see if you can climb onto us!" The cheetahs nodded as they split into two groups of three, with one group on Spyro's back and the other group on Cynder's. Cynder looked uncomfortable by the fact that someone is riding on her back, but she was used to it. She had to do this for years, so instead of growling about it every time, she just huffed silently. Strangely enough, this feeling shot forward a memory of the Dragonriders. She saw all of them on their respective dragon, all giving a quirky grin. This made her smile a little, no matter what the scenario was in this realm, she always wanted to figure out a way to go back.

"...ey, Cynder! You ready?" Spyro's voice snapped her back into reality.

She mentally jumped, "U-uhmm, yeah! I'm ready!"

"Alright then, let's get going!" Spyro shouted as he took off, with Cynder following behind him. All the cheetahs hanging on to each other or around the scaly bodies of the dragons. Clouds, mountains, and forests passed around them at an instant. Many of the cheetahs were chatting amongst themselves as both dragons continued to soar through the skies. Soon enough, the cheetah's chatter died down to nothing but stares. As they were flying toward their destination at lightning-fast speeds, Spyro decided to start a conversation, "Hey Cynder, does carrying the cheetahs on our backs remind you of anything?"

Cynder looked at the purple dragon, it was clear that he too was getting a deja vu feeling right about now, "you mean with the Dragonriders? Yeah, this does."

"Wait, you mean to tell us that when you were gone, you met some people who could ride dragons?" A cheetah in the front on Spyro's back looked astonished, sparking murmur across the cheetahs.

"Yeah, but surprisingly, they were extremely kind towards us, despite us having a rough beginning," Spyro replied.

"What do you mean?" Another cheetah chimed in, this time from the back. Spyro and Cynder decided the best way to kill time was to tell the tale of their disappearance into another realm, the realm of the Dragonriders. The dragons started from how they were found in a crater by two beings called humans, a race that is extremely intelligent at times; then brought to an island called Dragon's Edge to at first be examined by medical personnel. Spyro took a moment to explain the details of the beautiful island, structure, and the volcano at the top then resumed the flashback. Spyro then spoke of a conflict that started of a miscommunication between each other that lead to Cynder nearly dying and Spyro transforming into Dark Spyro. Cynder explained how Dark Spyro nearly destroyed all of them if it hadn't been for the fact that she was still alive. Spyro also carried her back to safety as he reverted from his dark form, and found a cave for them to hide in for the time being. Cynder told the cheetahs of meeting a mysterious being called Vortex within her mind and waking up to Spyro in her face. Spyro laughed embarrassingly a little as she said that out loud. Spyro said that the leader of the Dragonriders, Hiccup, went out to find them and when Hiccup did, Spyro nearly killed him out of pure anger, but Cynder managed to talk some sense into the enraged dragon. The dragon stated that Hiccup heard about Malefor still being alive in the realm, which scared the cheetahs when they heard that, but the dragons managed to calm them down. Spyro explained that somehow Malefor found a way to remain alive in a sort of spiritual presence, and haunted a being by the name of Barrage. Barrage was a race of anthropomorphic dragons called 'Dragonians' who had learned of elemental capabilities a very long time ago but were hunted down by a group of humans called Vikings. They managed to escape to an island called Mertazlok, where Barrage was born from. Barrage in his early days was a very talented and capable warrior but fell victim to the madness of desiring power. Barrage was banished from his homeland but later contacted by Malefor to do his bidding. Years later, Barrage attacked his home island to grab a gem only to return moments later to annihilate it. Barrage, after destroying his home, attacked the Edge which resulted in the deaths of two of their new friends and even managed to resurrect Malefor. This grabbed the cheetahs' interest, but also at the same time scared them. Spyro explained of Vortex's boost of power that he gave to the two dragons and how much power it carried. Cynder returned with how Spyro and Malefor managed to kill each other, leaving only Barrage, Cynder, and the Dragonriders left. Cynder came back by telling of the final battle of how Barrage was cornered at the top of the volcano, but just as he was about to be destroyed, he decided to take Vortex down with him. Hiccup's dragon managed to pull up Vortex from the ring, and Hiccup thrust a fiery sword into the chest of Barrage. That attack caused Barrage to let go of Vortex and fall into the lava, destroying him forever. Cynder explained that Vortex used a spell to teleport him, her, and a dead Spyro to the Chronicler in hopes to heal Spyro back to life. Unfortunately, Vortex used the last of his strength just to get there and collapsed. Using all of his life force energy, Vortex managed to heal Spyro back to life but died in the process. The Chronicler used an ancient spell given by Vortex as a contingency plan should Vortex die. Spyro decided not tell that The Chronicler was the old fire Guardian, Ignitus. Spyro didn't think he wanted that information being shared with the public. Spyro finished the story by explaining they went through the portal to return home...

"...and that's how we got back!" Spyro concluded, as the Cheetahs looked beyond amazed.

"Do you think they could travel over to our realm somehow?" A Cheetah in the back piped in. This time from Cynder's back.

"Possibly, but I can't say for certain. The human race has little to no magical abilities, especially elemental control, so I doubt they could find a way through using magic. Not to mention the technology isn't too advanced compared to our own," Spyro stated.

"So, is that who you were trying to create an image of at the entrance to the dragon temple?" Another chimed in.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Spyro replied with a question.

"I overheard it from one of the Dragon Messengers in my village. They said that the construction of the statue was getting nowhere and it was best to just scrap the project," the cheetah responded. Spyro just nodded slightly.

"Hey, look!" One of the Cheetahs pointed ahead. Spyro and Cynder looked to where the Cheetah pointed towards. They saw upspringing roots from trees, and mounds of dirt around a stone building. They had done it, they made it to the ancient temple that Cyril spoke about. From an aerial view, the temple was massive, at least 4 stories tall from best estimation! It had a similar layout to the temple the Guardians currently reside in, yet this one felt entirely different. Perhaps it was the colors of the rocks and moss hanging from the roof?

Cynder noticed there was a balcony on the second level. She looked at Spyro and pointed to the balcony, "let's land over there!" Spyro looked down at where she was pointing, then looked back at her and nodded. The two dragons began to descend onto the balcony, the cheetahs holding on to the dragons for support. Small rocks tumbled away as the might of the dragons' wings came down upon them. Their paws landed on the stony ground as their wings fluttered to a standstill. They managed to safely land on the balcony with the cheetahs still onboard. Carefully, the Cheetahs hopped off the dragons' back and began to push forward into the temple. Spyro and Cynder slowly followed but stared in awe of what is around them. This was an ancient dragon temple, or at least the remnants of one anyway. It was practically identical to the one that the Guardians use, but a lot of things were damaged or destroyed. This looked like the training center where Spyro learned how to use his elemental abilities, but overgrown moss-hung everywhere on the walls and ceiling. There was a large, gaping hole in the roof that showed the third and fourth floors. The light bled into the room, exposing some damp areas around the room. The two dragons stared in awe from the surroundings around them. Even though his place was entirely ancient, the color of the mossy rocks and the added sunlight gave it a modern, natural look.

"Hey, Spyro! We found something!" A cheetah waved them over to the circular door. The two dragons walked over and stood next to the cheetah. They both immediately noticed that there was some kind of language carved into the wall next to the door. Spyro bent his neck down to read the unknown writing. After looking at the symbols, he realized it was an ancient dragon writing. He gave a small 'hmm' as he scanned the wall.

"What is it?" Cynder asked, but the purple dragon continued to stare at the writing on the wall.

Spyro continued to read the words before standing back up, "it says, 'to those who are brave enough. This place was once of peace, now of death. Beyond this door is a key to another. Only the strongest or those who have experienced this before will be able to see and understand it.' It doesn't make any sense to me. I can't tell if this is a riddle or a warning, it looks like both."

Cynder thought about it for a moment, "only the strongest or those who have experienced this before will be able to see and understand it'... 'beyond this door is a key to another. Another WHAT? Another ROOM, PUZZLE, ANOTHER-" Cynder stopped when an image of the Dragonriders appeared, along with Vortex, Damian, and Viper. A thought clicked in her mind that started to fill her with hope and joy. "Spyro! What if this door leads to something that can take us BACK to the DRAGONRIDERS!"

Spyro looked at her in pure shock, but his confusion held most of his expression. He began to process what all she said and the writing. Now that he thought about it, the texts did point to something along the lines of what Cynder hypothesized, but they had no way of proving that theory. He frowned a little, "I don't know, Cynder. Maybe it's just trying to prey on our foolishness."

"We need to know Spyro. If we can find a way to establish a way to traverse back and forth to their realm, we can show everyone the Dragonriders! Besides, we need to tell them about Vortex..." Cynder returned with a serious expression and tone.

Spyro stared at her for a moment before nodding. He looked back at the cheetahs, "get away from this wall." They nodded and ran off to the entrance they used earlier and took cover. Spyro returned his focus to the door and snared. The energy around both dragons began to change as a spiral of fire began to spawn around Spyro. An intense heat began to build up around the purple dragon, but to Spyro, this heat just felt like a warm blanket. He opened his muzzle as a fireball was forming in his mouth. He roared the fiery projectile released from his mouth, point-blank at the ancient door. Dust and debris instantly flew across the room, removing nearly all sight of the door and the dragons. Small stones rumbled the floors as they fell to the ground, once reminiscent to the ancient temple. The cheetahs looked stunned by the sheer power of the blast, but then began to worry that Spyro and Cynder may have been killed. The dust began to settle as the cheetahs' sight of the room began to return. The sight of two unharmed dragons filled all of the cheetahs with relief and a blown open door in front of them.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance," Cynder remarked as she examined the destroyed door, dust still covering the room inside.

Spyro was huffing, he shouldn't have used that much power to blow open a door, but that was in the past. He looked back to the cheetahs, "go see if you can find anything on the first, third and fourth floors. We'll stay here for now. Come find us if you need any help." The cheetahs nodded and scattered throughout the temple until there wasn't anyone else in the room. Spyro looked at Cynder, "ready?"

"As ready as I can be," she returned. They both nodded and ran into the room, dust still covered the inside of the room. They looked around, but could barely manage to see anything around them. Both could barely see a faint yellow light that poured from another hole in the ceiling. Spyro noticed something as the air began to clear up. There was a small crater in the floor, with thousands of small cracks in the stone converging into larger ones in the center of the crater. The two noticed something was IN the crater as well but still couldn't get a visual as to who or what it could be. The brown dust in the air began to fall back to the ground as body parts and clothing began to be revealed.

Spyro continued to stare at the person as more of his or her body was revealed. His anticipation became immediate shock when he saw someone familiar emerge from the dust. "N-No… way!" He said in slight denial. Cynder began to see the same thing and a similar expression formed on her face. In the crater was a human, lying on his side.

"What the hell is a human doing here?!" Cynder shouted in pure disbelief.

Spyro took another look at the human and noticed something strange, "I don't think that person's ENTIRELY human..."

Cynder looked confused, "what do you mean that's not a whole human? They look EXACTLY like a human, body proportions and all!

"See! He has a tail! Humans don't have tails… as far as I know, anyway," Spyro returned, pointing at the 'human' with his claw.

Cynder took a closer look and noticed the small, brown tail on his lower abdomen. It wasn't like a cheetah tail where it is kinda fluffy and furry. This one was just a straight-up tail. Little amounts of brown fur surrounding the skin, "I guess you may be right about something, but where do you think this person came from?" Cynder asked, her speculations rising.

"I'm not sure," was all that Spyro could say. Something began to shine out from the darkness ahead that caught Cynder's eye. She slowly began to move towards it, walking around the small crater in the room.

Spyro drew his attention to Cynder moving up towards something he couldn't see, "what are you doing?"

"I see something," she returned as she continued creeping towards it. Slowly, she disappeared from Spyro's sight and into the shadows, making the purple dragon slightly worried for her safety.

"Cynder?" He called out to her location. Nothingness was his only answer. He slowly began to panic.

"_Cynder?"_ He called out again, hoping she didn't hear him the first time. Still, there was no reply of any kind from the dragoness. Spyro began to sweat as paranoia began to flood his mind. What if she fell into a hole and couldn't get out? What if she got hurt? What if someone else captured her and he didn't do anything to stop her?! Thoughts began to pile up in his heart, soul, and head as the pain it generated escalated.

In one outburst to release his growing pain and worries, he let out a howling scream, **"CYNDER!"** Just as he screamed it, Cynder came out of the darkness, unharmed in any way, and carrying something round in her paws.

"Jeez, stop yelling, I was only a few yards away; and besides, I was only gone for about 10 seconds," she sounded annoyed. Spyro was in pure relief, but also shock. That was 10 seconds?! It felt like an eternity to him. A few tears began to fall, but Spyro hid them as best he could. Cynder noticed he was upset, and resented a little, "look, I'm sorry that was a little off the board and made you upset, but I was just curious. Besides, I found this weird scroll you should see!"

"It's alright, I guess I did overrea- wait, a scroll?" Spyro dropped the subject and focused on the scroll. Cynder moved her paw to that Spyro could see it fully. It was ancient, as there were a lot of cuts and tears into the edges of the papyrus. There was something written on the inside that caught his attention. Spyro gently took it from Cynder's paws and opened it up. He scrolled down the layers of ancient texts at an incredible rate, then his expression of amazement returned.

"Spyro? What is it? What did you find?" Cynder asked, looking over his shoulder to glimpse the lines of texts.

"This scroll speaks of a portal that is molded in one of the outer walls of this temple," he looked up to face Cynder dead on, "Apparently, the ancients had a portal that would allow for easy travel between realms, but was quickly shut down because it was deemed unreliable for future use and abandoned ever since!"

"So, what exactly does that imply?" Cynder didn't follow why he was surprised.

"Don't you get it, Cynder? If we can find this portal and repair it, we can use it to travel between realms at astonishing speeds! Cynder, we can go back to the Dragonriders!" Spyro exclaimed with joy.

Cynder looked just as excited, but noticed the skies seemed to get darker, "That's amazing! However, it's getting late, and we need to link back up with the rest of the cheetahs before it gets dark."

Spyro nodded, then looked back to the unconscious being in the small crater, "what should we do with him..? We can't just leave them here, they will die without supplies to live on"

Cynder thought about it for a moment before stating, "we should take them back to the Guardians. Maybe we can find out who he is and what his purpose here is."

Spyro looked hesitant about this idea. On the one hand, it would be good to have this person close by in case he does something dark. Besides, the Guardians might have an insight into how they could proceed. On the other hand, they put the Guardians lives, the Temple, and everyone in Dragon City at huge risk. Who knows what could happen if this person breaks free, they could destroy the peace they fought long and hard for. Spyro looked at Cynder again, "you're right. It might be best to take him back to the Guardians, but we need to keep him on watch at all times, should he do something evil or hold malicious intents." Cynder nodded as Spyro slid down the crater and hoisted the 'human' on his back. Climbing out of the crater, they left the small room and into the training center, where the cheetahs were waiting for them.

"Spyro, Cynder! We explored the rest of the temple, at least as best as we could anyway. A lot of entrances were caved in and had no way of navigating around it," one of the Cheetahs bowed respectfully, then noticed the cargo they carried, "wait, there was someone inside the temple?"

"We don't know how long he has been here, but it's safe to say they weren't held up here for far too long," Spyro returned, " now, is anyone of you a medical expert?"

One of the cheetahs in the back walked up to the purple dragon, "I am, sir."

"Good, I need you to examine him as we fly and report any major injuries, can you do that?" Spyro asked the young Cheetah, who confidently nodded, "good, the rest of you need to pile up on Cynder. We're leaving the temple!" Cynder growled mentally at Spyro as the Cheetahs climbed aboard her back. They were heavy, especially since there were five of them, but she's managed heavier before. The two dragons carefully took flight from the balcony and flew back towards home, with the sun setting to the right of them. Nobody said anything on the ride back, not even the cheetahs, which lead to many awkward moments.

Halfway into the return flight, Spyro caught the medic's attention, "how is he doing, Doc?"

"He will be fine, sir, just some minor injuries here and there, nothing to be worried about. I just wish I had carried some gems with me, that would certainly help with the healing process," the medical Cheetah replied with a soft smile, though Spyro couldn't see it.

"Got it," Spyro returned, _'so, this guy has human physics, but also has a tail? I don't recall humans having an evolutionary standpoint, but I might be wrong. I guess we'll find out once he's awake.'_

* * *

_Back with the Guardians…_

"It still just surprises me even now!" Volteer said, walking with the other Guardians outside the temple walls, "the fact that Spyro and Cynder had traveled between a realm we had no idea had even existed! Met creatures that were RIDING dragons, but had a companion relationship with them!"

"On top of that, the dragons in that realm lack the intelligence to speak. I wonder about it from time to time, and frankly, it just seems impossible," Cyril returned

"I guess an exception to that rule was the Dragonian race. I had no idea that the elements were being manipulated by another dragon kind. It makes me wonder if they know certain advantages of the elements that we have no idea about. It's a shame they all had to be destroyed, I would've loved to explore the theories and knowledge they possessed!" Volteer began to daydream of all the possibilities in his mind.

Terrador rolled his eyes a little and noticed it started to grow darker outside. "Shouldn't Spry and Cynder returned with the Cheetahs from the expedition of the unknown temple?"

"Be patient, Terrador. Spyro and Cynder will return in due time," Cyril returned as they started to make way towards the bridge. Just as he stated this, the three Guardians heard the flapping of wings nearby and growing fast.

"Speak of the devil…" Terrador said as the two heroes landed right in front of the Guardians on the bridge, Cynder landing in front. Cynder lowered her body to the ground and the Cheetahs on her back began to pour off of her. The Guardians backpedaled off the bridge so that Spyro and Cynder could move up closer.

"Remember, help out Spyro with the cargo," Cynder stated to the last two Cheetahs. They bowed respectfully as they rushed behind the black dragoness. All of the Guardians instantly hooked onto what she said.

"You found something?" Cyril questioned, looking somewhat excited, but he would not be ready for what was about to be said next.

"Well, we found something…" Cynder then moved out of the way to reveal Spyro with something in his paws, but also the Cheetahs carrying something massive, "and someone…" The Cheetahs stopped to show the person to whom they were carrying. The Guardians were stunned by the structure of the body. It looked just like one of the human creatures Spyro and Cynder had described in their stories! Now they had a way to find out more about this race!

Spyro walked over with a scroll in his paw, "we also found this scroll within the same chamber that he resided in," Spyro paused to look back at the unconscious being, before returning his gaze to the Guardians, "when we found this scroll, I opened it up to see what it has to reveal. It turns out this was made by ancients that were long before Malefor, but it turns out they had a much bigger secret to reveal. It turns out that within the outer walls of the Temple, the ancients made a portal that was able to traverse realms at ease using Aether. Unfortunately, the ancients deemed it was unreliable in the future and closed the portal systems down, and buried them in the walls. Cynder and I talked about it and we think that if we can get this portal up and running once more, we could establish a connection between our realm and the Dragonriders!" All of the Guardians were surprised by what Spyro spoke about, a portal that tears through realms at ease, left to be forgotten in time entirely? It sounded like fantasy, but these were the ancients they were discussing! Of course, they would keep a lot of secrets that ought to be revealed in due time.

Cyril spoke up, "and you're sure that this portal is located within the walls of that temple?"

"I can't say for certain, but I believe so. Besides, the scroll tells the same thing. I feel like this is a chance to allow you to experience something like what we felt six years ago!" Spyro returned, positivity began to flourish in his voice. It seemed like Cynder and his dreams of returning to the Dragonriders' realm were finally coming true!

"Well, if you do believe that the portal can bridge the gap between our realm and theirs, then we support you. However, do keep in mind that it may be a trap set by the ancients," Cyril warned as his gaze grew a little more serious. Spyro nodded, acknowledging that his mentor was indeed right to be on guard. He looked at the unknown person lying unconscious in the arms of the Cheetahs, "now, what do you suppose we do with this one?"

"We were wondering if we can keep him here, for the time being, to make sure that he isn't evil and uninjured. On the way back here, one of the Cheetahs managed to patch up some of the minor wounds on his body and said that there were no apparent major injuries that he could see," Spyro shifted his gaze to the unconscious human.

"I suppose it is necessary to ensure the safety of all our people. Terrador, do you still have those gems on you?" Cyril called back to the Earth Guardian. Terrador nodded and reached behind him to grab something. As if by magic, there were three gems within his old paws, one was a healing gem and the other two were energy replenishing gems. Terrador marched over and cracked the red gem next to the human creature. The green Guardian slowly backed off from the crystal as it began to work its magic. The energy in the gem slowly wrapped around the body like a candy cane for a moment before disappearing entirely.

"It would appear that this young man is at his prime state of health just as you stated, but what about his energy levels? I would imagine them to be at an all-time low," Volteer inquired. Terrador did the same thing with both green gems and backed away slightly. Both gems released a mist that did the same thing as the red one, but this time they entered the body until nothing of the mist remained. The small shards of all of the gems on the ground disintegrated into nothingness. Moments after the gems replenished the human's energy, nothing still occurred that signaled any signs of emerging. Just as Cyril was about to say something to Spyro, a small groan escaped the human's mouth. Everyone started to grow alert of the possible threat that lays right in front of them. His eyelids began to flutter and his limbs began to move slightly. Slowly, the human opened his eyes, looking rather dazed and confused as to what is around him. It looked like he was trying to say something, but there was no sound emanating from him. He was only mouthing the words he was saying, but even then, they didn't know what those words were.

"Good, now that you are awake, I have one question that I want to know right now," Spyro walked up to where he took up most of the human's line of sight, "who are you?"

* * *

The Dragonriders have become brutal savages!?

Confrontations will arise!

A dream starts to become a reality!

Will Spyro and Cynder find the lost portal of the ancients? Is this mysterious person they have encountered harboring evil intentions? Find out, next time on Dragon King!


End file.
